Horizontal boom swivel device for locomotive cranes



c. L. 'FERO 2,649,211

HORIZONTAL BQQM SWIVEL DEVICE Foxm'como'rrvfl CRANES as nee' -shget 1 Aug. 18, 1953 Filed Aug. 23, 1951 1 INVENTOR MZ.IZ1V0 ATTORNEYS W M "VM 1953 c. FERO 2,649,211

HORIZONTAL Boom SWIVEL DEVICE-FOR LOCOMOTIVE CRANES Filed Aug. 23, 1951 s She'et's-Sheet z INVENTOR Milk 0 ATTORNEYS 8- 9 c. L. FERO 2,649,211 HORIZONTAL BOOMSWIVEL DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE cmuzs 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1951 i s sheets-sna s sear 01v A SECTION B BY 2 M ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HORIZONTAL BOOM SWIVEL DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE CRANES Claude L. Fero, Stoneham, Mass.

Application August 23, 1951, Serial No. 243,277

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a crane and more particularly to a locomotive crane and a unique means of transporting said crane.

A crane includes a cab and a boom. The cab houses the driving mechanism and the operator and in the usual case is rotatably mounted to some sort of transportable chassis. The boom is mounted to the cab for pivotal movement in a vertical direction but restrained from lateral movement in relation to the cab, The boom is, in the usual case, very long and in the order of about 40 feet. It protrudes quite some distance over the end of the cab car or fiatcar as it is more often called, when aligned longitudinally therewith. The inboard end or heel of the boom is fixed to the floor assembly of the cab, the cab functioning as the derrick mast for the structure. The cab, in turn, is mounted rotatably to the fiatcar and is capable of rotating completely around its vertical axis.

As previously pointed out, the boom is of the order of about 40 feet in length. It is constructed in a fashion almost universally employed today in the design of derrick cranes. It is approximately 56 inches wide at the heel and tapers gradually to a width of about 2 feet at the outer end. The sides of the boom have a width of about 18 inches at the heel and after gradually widening to 2 feet at the midpoint of the boom, taper to about 1 foot in width at the outer end. The boom is fixed to the cab floor by bolts inserted .through eyes in the heel of the boom.

It is often necessary to transport a locomotive crane from one point to another quite distant therefrom, as for instance from the place of storage to the place where the crane is to be used. Previously, this was only accomplished by methods consuming much time and effort. The crane had be unrigged after it had been used. The boom was usually unhitched from the cab and loaded into a separate car and transported by itself. The cab, properly restricted against movement about its vertical axis, was then capable of being moved along on itsown fiatcar. This task of unrigging the crane was a time-consuming one and required extended eifort. Because of the length of the boom and its rigidity with the cab in a horizontal plane, a crane with cab and boom intact could not be safely moved over any extended distance of railroad track because of the danger of the boom fouling the adjacent track at every curve. The procedure of unfastening the boom, loading it on a separate car, unloading it at the place where it was to be used and rerigging it to the cab involved approximately two full days in addition to transportation time.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a locomotive crane structure which eliminates the time-consuming unrigging and rerig- 'ging operation incident to transportation from one place to another previously encountered in the prior art.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a locomotive crane structure which permits the crane to be transported with the cab and boom intact without the danger of fouling adjacent avenues of transportation.

Broadly this invention relates to a locomotive crane structure for use in transporting the crane that includes a cab and boom, 2. car for said cab and a car for said boom, and means to permit restricted lateral arcuate movement of said boom with respect to said cab while said boom is still rigged to said cab and said cab is restricted against movement about its own vertical axis.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent from a discussion of the appended drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation view showing the locomotive crane structure which is the subject matter of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the means of supporting the boom in the boom car constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevation showing the means illustrated in Figure 3 together with a means for holding the boom in place.

Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the crane boom.

Figure '7 is a view taken along the line 'l---! of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the means of mounting the boom to the cab.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the hee1 of the boom.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 10.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the cab I0 is mounted to the car I I for rotation about its vertical axis by shaft and gear mechanisms indicated at l2. The boom I3 is mounted by means generally indicated by the numeral M to the platform 15 of the cab ID. This means'will be further described at a later point. The boom car which may be a flatcar or gondola car is indicated by numeral l6 and has mounted thereto a means ll for supporting the boom 13. This means I! will be better explained at a future point. The attitude of the locomotive crane structure shown in these two figures is that prevailing during transportation of the crane from one point to another on railroad tracks. It is submitted at this time that the cab and boom together with the type of car to transport each is entirely conventional. This invention is directed most importantly to the means [4 and I1.

Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the means I?! is therein shown. This means I? is provided to support the boom in the boom car [6. A flat. plate I8 is provided, which plate is mounted to a rod IS. The rod [9 engages at both ends thereof in holes provided in the angle bars These angle bars are in turn mounted by bolts 2| and nuts 22 to a cross member 23 of a horse structure. This horse structure is composed of five p ec the drop member 23 being mounted to the le 24 which legs are provided with indented shoulders 25. Bolts and nuts 26 are provided to secure the legs to the cross member 23. As shown in Figure 2, this horse structure is mounted to the sides of the boom car. The boom l3 rests on the plate l3 and is slidable thereon. As shown in Figures 3 to 5 this plate [3 is pivotally mounted to its supporting means, the supporting means being illustrated in these figures as the horse structure. Any other means equivalent to this horse structure may of course be used. It is only important that the plate be mounted at a preferred point on the boom car and be able to pivot in the vertical plane a limited amount.

To prevent the boom from slipping off the plate in a lateral direction, means are provided. As shown in Figures 4 and 5 this means includes, in a preferred form, steel braces 25 and 26 which are mounted to the cross member 23. The braces 26 are rotated to a vertical position, the braces 25 are engaged therewith by a bolt and nut arrangement 2T. Eyelets 23 are provided to receive a length of the chain, the chain being wrapped over the boom from the steel brace structure on the right to the steel brace structure on the left. This chain will prevent undue movement of the boom up. and away from the sliding plate.

Means are also provided on the boom so as to facilitate the movement of the boom with relation to the plate 18. As shown in Figures 6 and '7, plate 29 is mounted to the underside of the boom. When this plate 29 is lubricated, and the plate [8 is lubricated, relative movement of the boom and plate is made much easier With of course a commensurate decrease in the wear of the two engaging surfaces.

As was indicated with reference to Figure 1, the numeral l4 designates the means by which the boom is mounted to the crane platform. This means i l is better illustrated in Figures 8 to 11. At a short distance above the heel of the boom the boom box is out into two sections. Section A is shown in Figures 8, 9 and section B in Figures 10 and 11. The section A is that section which is mounted to the crane platform and section B is that which forms to the heel of the boom. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, section A is mounted in the usual fashion to the crane platform to permit vertical movement of the boom relative therewith but to prevent lateral movement of the boom relative therewith. As shown in these figures, section A is composed of two main'portions, the end pieces 39 provided 4 with holes 3|, and the box portion 32. Section A is rotatably mounted to a shaft which engages in the holes 3|, the shaft itself of course bein mounted to the cab platform. The box portion 32 is mounted by rivets 33 and welding to the end pieces 30.

Referring to section B which forms the inboa end of the boom, it is composed of two plates, top plate 34 and bottom plate 35, both plates bein welded and riveted to the boom l3 by rivets 36. The plates are provided with cooperating bore holes 37, 38 and 39, care being taken that the center hole 38 is approximately equi-distant from the sides of the plate. Appropriate bearings are placed inside the holes so made. Then section A is engaged within the section B. The plates 34 and- 35 overlap the box portion 32 and the bolt holes. ill in this box portion 32, which have been drilled so as to align with the holes in the plates 34 and 35, are positioned directly under the holes, 31, 38 and 39. Bolts are then passed through the aligned holes in the two sections and tightened. In this position, the crane is capable of operation. To dismantle or unrig this portion of the crane for transportation purposes all that need be done is to remove the bolts on the outside leaving the center bolt or swivel bolt in place. The swivel bolt effectively ties the boom to the crane cab while at the same time permitting lateral movement of the boom while in transportation. The crane cab is bolted to its flat car at all four corners to prevent rotation. The boom car is coupled on ahead of the crane fiat car and the boom is then lowered onto the sliding plate and secured. The crane is now capable of movement over the road without further disassembly. At the destination only two simple operations are required to fully rig the crane for action. First, the reinsertion of the two side bolts and second, the removal of the chain which secures the boom from undue lateral movement in relation to the sliding plate. Of course the use of the third bolt and accordingly the third bolt hole insures a stronger construction.

The box section 32 is shown inv its preferred form. However, it is only necessary that protruding from the end pieces 30 be a plate of some sort for engagement in overlapping relation with the plates 34 and 35.

What has been described is the preferred embodiment of the invention shown with particular emphasis on locomotive cranes. It is of course possible to apply the techniques of this invention to cranes which are not carried on railroad flat cars, but perhaps on tractors or automotive trucks. Other embodiments obvious from these teachings to one skilled in the art are within the scope and. spirit of the following claims. 4

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for transporting a crane on a carrier composed of two separate mobile chassis articulatably connected in tandem in which the body of the crane is positioned on one of said mobile chassis and the outer end of the crane boom positioned on the other of said mobile chassis, said apparatus comprising a crane housing on one mobile chassis, a boom, means for pivotally connecting the inner end of said boom to the said crane housing for swinging about a vertical axis, a support mounted on the other mobile chassis, a plate pivotally mounted on said support for see-saw action about a horizontal axis, said plate supporting the outer end of said boom whereby during transportation of said crane along a curved path, said boom pivots on said vertical axis and slides on said support plate to thereby prevent said boom from fouling adjacent paths of transportation.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for pivotally connecting the inner end of said boom to said crane housing comprises a boom boX in two sections, one section constituting the innermost end of said boom, the other section constituting a part of said crane housing, said two sections having mating overlying pairs of plates, said plates having at least two laterally disposed holes therethrough to receive bolts therein, the holes in one plate aligning with the holes in the other plate, whereby the removal of one bolt permits said boom to swing about the vertical axis of said other bolt.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including a flat plate mounted to the underside of said boom at substantially the point of contact of said boom and said support plate.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said support is a horse mounted transversely of said second mobile chassis.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further including a rod extending laterally of said horse and above said horse and transversely of said second mobile chassis, means on said horse to carry both ends of said rod and means to mount said support plate to said rod for pivotal movement thereon.

CLAUDE L. FERO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

